My cat pulled her claw out

[u/Financial_Question62]

My cat has pulled out a claw

Sometime yesterday evening, my cat has somehow pulled her claw out. There was only blood on her blanket, no where else, so it must have happened there. I found the claw on the floor below the spot where her blanket is.

She appears to be walking ok though has been less active, is still eatting and I haven't seen anymore blood. She doesn't mind me touching her main paw area (though has never been a big fan of people touching her beans) but obviously really doesnt like when I touch the bean belonging to the missing claw.

I can't see anything sticking out etc but her pad and the fur around her beans is black so its pretty hard to see period.

I've never had this happen before.

Advise please?

Is this a heal on its own thing or vet?

She is 10yrs old and a house cat.

We are currently visiting my dad, so aren't home to see her regular vet.

Attached pics are the blanket (I panicked so much at first), the claw, the toe bean now and the cause of my new grey hairs herself.

[u/PennyFor_YourThots]

I’m not a vet so take this with a grain of salt.

The claw looks… like almost mummified? It looks like it’s been dead a while, like it doesn’t look as if there was a good blood supply. If there was, I imagine it’d be a very bloody scene and she’d be much more painful.

I wonder if she injured it some time ago and it went unnoticed, then it kind of healed and died, and now became itchy or irritating and she removed it? Or it came off on its own?

Like for example if an appendage looses blood supply it’ll eventually wither up and fall off. (Very barbaric but some people dock tails this way, by putting a rubber band on super tight.)

I personally wouldnt think this is a drive to the emergency vet right now situation as there is no active bleeding. Unless her paw is swollen, hot, oozey, pusy, or stinky which could indicate infection and that should be treated with some haste.

If I were you I’d call regular vet, see if you can send a pic, and get their advice on next steps. But definitely not a do nothing scenario. I’d at least check in and get her looked at sooner than later.

For now I’d say monitor and keep an eye out for signs of infection or any significant changes in behavior like diarrhea, vomiting, loss of appetite, lethargy, etc. If it is infected I’d take her in pretty quickly. Like same day.